The Color Purple

My visit with Katelyn on Wednesday started out really well. I gave her a bath cuz to be honest she was a stinky little baby. She enjoyed it as did I. I got to rub her down with some baby oil and give her a massage. She has graduated from tiny diapers to preemie diapers. She is fitting better in the preemie clothes too. It's so fun to be able to snuggle her in a blanket and have her watch me like she is listening to what I am talking about. Her nurse hooked up her feeding into her NG-tube and got it started. It didn't take long for Katie to fall asleep in my arms. Usually when she is tired of being held Katelyn grunts and her oxygen saturation dips that's when I know it's time to put her back in her bed. There is a note next to her feeding pump that reminds her nurses to vent her NG-tube so that any excess gas can escape and she won't be uncomfortable. About 30 minutes after her feeding had finished Katie began to get restless. I kept looking at her tube thinking maybe we should vent it because it had been a while and ,maybe she was getting gassy. As I was holding her She suddenly grunted and then vomited. I quickly turned her on her side to help her get all the vomit out but she was gasping for air. I sat her up and rubbed her back but it wasn't helping. I watched as her complexion started going from pretty pink to a yucky bluish-purple. I quickly passed her off to her nurse Marcie and exclaimed, "Help her Marcie!" Marcie began rubbing Katie and suctioning her nose and I sat helplessly as her oxygen and heart rate began dropping further and further lower. Marcie called in the respiratory therapist and they both began to stimulate Katelyn and turn her oxygen support up. I could see that Katie was fighting to get her breath and she was trying to cry. I went to the window side of the bed and held her hand and called her by name to let her know I was there with her. Slowly Katie began to breathe. She was no longer purple but a gruesome shade of gray. I kept a hold of her hand and watched as she began to breathe and her color began to change to pale. Her little eyes were searching for me and I just kept saying it was okay. Finally 10 minutes after she vomited she began to cry. It was a beautiful sound. It was as if she realized what a scary thing she went through and she was very upset. We got her swaddled up and gave her her pacifier and had to put a bean bag on her to help her feel secure. Once I was alone with Katie and the episode was over I sat in the recliner next to her crib and lost it. How in the hell am I supposed to keep my cool if that happens at home? Marcie came back in and began comforting me. She reassured me that I would know what to do if Katelyn needed me. She encouraged me to take the CPR class on Thursday and patted me on the shoulder. I can't explain how grateful I am that She was in the room when things happened. Marcie said that Katelyn was protecting her airway when she vomited but that she panicked and couldn't figure out how to breathe back in. Because her NG-tube wasn't vented Katelyn had too much gas in her tummy and that's why she got sick. She was full of bubbles and let lots out once her tube was vented. It was such a relief to see Katie relax and fall asleep after such a scary incident. I called to check on her later that night and she had no lasting effects from aspirating except a bit of a grumpy attitude.

I found out last night that Katie has been upgraded to the second level feeding protocol. That means that she has done well taking a bottle every 12 hours that now they will try 2 bottles every 12 hours by mouth. If she can gain weight for 2 days in a row she will be bumped up to 3 bottles. She is going to be getting extra protein mixed in with her formula to help her grow. She was on the extra protein at 3 weeks old but she didn't tolerate it and ended up losing weight. I was a bit apprehensive about them giving it to her because she is so close to 3 pounds I don't want a set back. After talking to her nurse it made sense to give her the extra boost because she'll be burning more calories taking 2 bottles a shift. I asked the nurse practitioner to please stop the protein if she shows any signs of intolerance. So far she has been handling it well with no side effects. The best news is that Katie is 2lb 15oz. I am hoping that tonight she'll break the 3 pound mark. Keep your fingers crossed!